America - The Official Thread

[Dotini]

Growing up, I never thought I would see the arguably most influential office in the world broadcast its tantrums almost hourly.

Sometimes US Presidents do very bad things. By "very bad", I mean things like start unconstitutional wars such as Vietnam that get tens of thousands of Americans killed and millions of foreigners killed. Presidents who have started and prosecuted such wars have never paid a political price for it.

But sometimes a President comes along who pays a political price for committing some lesser offense like ordering a burglary and covering it up. Nixon was forced to resign because of just such an offense, and didn't even have to face impeachment. He had lost political support from his own party. Clinton was impeached for receiving blowjobs from a busty intern at his desk in the Oval Office. But he was not convicted because he retained the support of his own party.

So there is no sure justice for crimes or notorious impropriety in high office. It's all about political support.

So if you want to know if Trump will be successfully impeached, all you have to know is whether or not he retains the political support of his own party. He could be impeached for picking his feet in Poughkeepsie. That could be dicey for him because the Republican establishment is against him and his insurgent campaign to take over the party, and all he really has for base support is large numbers of angry and motivated citizen voters. These voters have the power to destroy the Republican Party if they are sufficiently enraged.

Did Trump collude with Russia? I'm fairly certain he has spoken with Russians, visited Russia, and done business deals with Russians. Perhaps he has - gasp! - had sex in Russia. This could well be enough in today's Russo-phobic political climate to force him from office even if no illegality was involved. It will depend entirely upon the political calculations of Congressmen and Senators.

 

[TexRex]

Growing up, I never thought I would see the arguably most influential office in the world broadcast its tantrums almost hourly.

He occupies the office of the president, but he is far from presidential. He has the capacity to do good things--things that do good for all parties involved without disregarding his own party's views--thanks to his station, but his only interest is in getting attention and causing disruption. He can't even communicate with the people in a presidential manner (in this instance I'm actually referring to the words he uses rather than how he puts them out there, though the latter is disgraceful).

I mean, regardless of how one viewed him from a political or intellectual standpoint, George W. Bush had some incredibly poignant, heartfelt and moving things to say in times of doubt and grief because he made use of others [with the talent to weave these words] made available to him, and then communicated those words himself, to us, instead of leaving that to a couple of asshats (frankly, I miss Spicer--sure you couldn't take much of what he said as truth, but you knew you couldn't, and he was occasionally even entertaining with his outbursts; Sarah Huckabee Sanders is as dead as the beef she ate several months ago and appears to still have her bound up inside...flax seed Sarah, flax seed).

 

[Dotini]

Despite his many feuds and failures, Trump will get to fill the most federal judiciary vacancies in 40 years.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/24/trumps-biggest-win-yet-comes-thanks-to-congress-commentary.html


Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images

 

[TexRex]

Despite his many feuds and failures, Trump will get to fill the most federal judiciary vacancies in 40 years.

Despite? It's sure to spur even more of both.

You just know that picture was taken after he heard the news...and someone explained to him what it meant.

 

[Joey D]

Is this really what we've come to?



I really do feel like this is an attempt to violate the First Amendment, even if it's borderline. While Trump isn't actively censoring news networks, he's treading awfully close to it, which is a problem.

 

[PeterJB]

His Twitter feed can sometimes read like it's from some dystopian movie set in the future.

 

[Spurgy 777]

Is this really what we've come to?



I really do feel like this is an attempt to violate the First Amendment, even if it's borderline. While Trump isn't actively censoring news networks, he's treading awfully close to it, which is a problem.

There’s really no need to take Trump’s twitter ramblings so seriously and he can hardly use twitter to censor news networks. I mean it’s a bit worrying that it’s hard to tell whether he’s just a deluded idiot or trolling, but that’s about the only thing to be concerned about unless he starts to actually try and censor news networks.

 

[Joey D]

There’s really no need to take Trump’s twitter ramblings so seriously and he can hardly use twitter to censor news networks. I mean it’s a bit worrying that it’s hard to tell whether he’s just a deluded idiot or trolling, but that’s about the only thing to be concerned about unless he starts to actually try and censor news networks.

I'm typically not bothered, and just more so amused, by his Twitter ramblings. But this past Tweet was just a tad too much for me. Maybe it was the part where he stroked his own ego by indicating he's everyone's favorite president.

And while I know he can't enact policy over Twitter, it does give a solid glimpse at his opinions and what he'd like to strive for. I know it'd never stand up in court, it's just worrisome that the president is so vocal about his crusade against the press.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Is this really what we've come to?



I really do feel like this is an attempt to violate the First Amendment, even if it's borderline. While Trump isn't actively censoring news networks, he's treading awfully close to it, which is a problem.

Until he pulls a Lincoln or Adams, which it should never get to, I don't see anything more than hot air being expelled in a 140 character limit.

 

[Dennisch]

This is what you get when you treat politicians as superstars. The biggest piles of popular **** get a chance to run for the Oval Office.

 

[DK]

I'm pretty sure gaslighting isn't a violation of the 1st Amendment.

 

[TenEightyOne]

And we're back to the Trump .vs. Warren "Pocahontas" debate. This time Trump chose to refer to Pocahontas during a welcome of Navajo "code talkers". The genius never begins.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Until he pulls a Lincoln or Adams, which it should never get to, I don't see anything more than hot air being expelled in a 140 character limit.

280 now for even more Trump than ever

 

[TenEightyOne]

280 now for even more Trump than ever

I read at the time that they raised the limit so that Trump could propose constitutional reform. He probably believed that story, now I come to think of it.

 

[ryzno]

Guess I'll post this here... B.o.B. Is at it again!

Flat-earth proponent B.o.B. now questions if slavery happened
http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2017/11/27...ions-if-slavery-happened/?ecmp=socialflow_ajc

 

[Northstar]

Guess I'll post this here... B.o.B. Is at it again!

Flat-earth proponent B.o.B. now questions if slavery happened
http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2017/11/27...ions-if-slavery-happened/?ecmp=socialflow_ajc

I could see a white supremecist saying something like that since some deny the holocaust. But I can honestly say I never thought I would see the day where an African-American person would say something like that.

 

[Obelisk]

Why is no one talking about Net Neutrality in here?

 

[Northstar]

Why is no one talking about Net Neutrality in here?

There is a whole thread dedicated to it.

 

[Obelisk]

There is a whole thread dedicated to it.

Whoops.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I could see a white supremecist saying something like that since some deny the holocaust. But I can honestly say I never thought I would see the day where an African-American person would say something like that.

I think he's just trying to be stupid to be stupid, since he hasn't had too many hits in a very long time. Gotta stay relevant some how.

 

[Biggles]

Is this really what we've come to?

I don't know Joey - you tell me. You're kind of the middle-of-the-road voice here. Would you vote for Trump ... do you know people who would vote for him (again)?

I always thought he was a loathsome, ignorant person - long before his decision to run for office, but his behaviour as President has surpassed my wildest imaginings. This narcissistic sociopath is the President of the United States, for God's sake. I'm embarrassed for the US ... hell, I'm embarrassed for the human race.

 

[PeterJB]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663

Is this really breaking news, BBC?

 

[TenEightyOne]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663

Is this really breaking news, BBC?

American President retweets three videos from Britain First? It's not really news if you do it, or if I do it, but then neither of us are in one of the world's senior democratic offices.

With the best will in the world it's hard not to associate somebody who disseminates alt-right political discourse on their personal twitter feed with the content of that discourse. In fairness to Trump it remains to be seen what the reason/excuse/justification is.

 

[Dotini]

American President retweets three videos from Britain First? It's not really news if you do it, or if I do it, but then neither of us are in one of the world's senior democratic offices.

With the best will in the world it's hard not to associate somebody who disseminates alt-right political discourse on their personal twitter feed with the content of that discourse. In fairness to Trump it remains to be seen what the reason/excuse/justification is.

Repeated from wiki and the NY Times, 2004, from reporter Ron Suskind:


The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' [...] 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'.[3]

The source of the quotation was later identified as Bush's senior advisor Karl Rove,[4] although Rove has denied saying it.[5]

 

[TenEightyOne]

Repeated from wiki and the NY Times, 2004, from reporter Ron Suskind:


The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' [...] 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'.[3]

The source of the quotation was later identified as Bush's senior advisor Karl Rove,[4] although Rove has denied saying it.[5]

What does that apparently mis-attributed quote (according to the sources you linked) have to do with the price of fish?

 

[Dotini]

What does that apparently mis-attributed quote (according to the sources you linked) have to do with the price of fish?

You asked for the justification for Trump's tweets.
I'm suggesting this is the way Trump attempts to create new realities.

 

[Joey D]

I don't know Joey - you tell me. You're kind of the middle-of-the-road voice here. Would you vote for Trump ... do you know people who would vote for him (again)?

I always thought he was a loathsome, ignorant person - long before his decision to run for office, but his behaviour as President has surpassed my wildest imaginings. This narcissistic sociopath is the President of the United States, for God's sake. I'm embarrassed for the US ... hell, I'm embarrassed for the human race.

I didn't vote for Trump the first time around and I wouldn't vote for him again. However, I did think he was slightly better than Clinton was, but that's akin to saying well I have AIDS but at least it isn't cancer. Really this past election was a no win situation for the country.

As for people who voted for him, yes I know several and I know they'd vote him in again in a heartbeat. They feel it's refreshing to have a president who will tell it like it is and claim he's the best president since Reagan.

I just have a hard time accepting that this isn't one massive joke. I want to believe that Trump is doing this charade to simply appease some of the voting demographic that supports him, but the more he posts, the more I think this is how he exactly is.

 

[Danoff]

do you know people who would vote for him (again)?

I do, I do!

As far as I can tell, many of the people who voted for him (the ones I know) are even more entrenched now than during the election. Maybe it's a bad sample because I'm listening to the vocal ones.

 

[Liquid]

As for people who voted for him, yes I know several and I know they'd vote him in again in a heartbeat. They feel it's refreshing to have a president who will tell it like it is and claim he's the best president since Reagan.

But that isn't necessarily a reflection, endorsement or analysis of him as a President. That's Donald the person.

It has often been said that Jimmy Carter was a better man than President. Some, but not all, say this about George Bush Jr now that he's been out of office for nearly a decade; he at least conducted himself better than the current incumbent regardless of what you might have made of his policies.

I'm finding it difficult to say that the same can or will be applied to Donald Trump. His legacy as President relating strictly to his policies and executive decisions is still to be merited but I doubt he will get the distinction between Donald the President and Donald the Man that others like Carter and Bush have sometimes been offered.

And I won't shed a tear if that analysis is ultimately unfavourable.

 

[PeterJB]

I knew vaguely who he was before he ran as he presented The Apprentice. There were a lot of buildings named after him and I incorrectly read as a child that he was the richest man in America. It was when he announced his "Muslim ban" during his campaign that he suddenly got thrust into the spotlight, and since then I don't think I've seen so much overwhelmingly negative press of one person. Cats and porn have been knocked off the pedestal as lord and masters of the Internet. Every single day he makes headlines, he's brought up in almost every topic of conversation, people just can't let it go, or even attempt to ignore him.